The use and abuse of a class of illicit designer drugs known commonly as “ecstasy-class drugs” have increased significantly in recent years. These compounds, which are derivatives of amphetamine distinguished by having a fused methylenedioxy phenyl ring system, include MDA (3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine), MDMA, also known as “Ecstasy” (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine), MDEA, also known as “Eve” (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-ethylamphetamine), BDB (3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl-2-butanamine), and MBDB (3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl-N-methylbutanamine).
Heretofore, methods for the detection of ecstasy-class drugs have primarily involved immunoassays originally developed for the detection of amphetamine and/or methamphetamine. The detection of an ecstasy-class drug by such assays relies on the limited cross-reactivities that may coincidentally exist between the ecstasy-class drug and the amphetamine and/or methamphetamine antibodies. A positive result obtained by such an assay may still not indicate which particular substance or member of the methylenedioxy (MD) class of derivatives is present in a sample.
In general, amphetamine and methamphetamine immunoassays are relatively insensitive to, and non-specific for, ecstasy-class drugs. Such assays show particularly limited recognition for the MDEA derivative.
The present invention is directed to remedying these and other problems relating to the use of conventional amphetamine and/or methamphetamine immunoassays for the detection of members of the methylenedioxy class, or ecstasy-class, drugs.